IF you thought panto was over for the season — you were wrong, writes Lesley Potter.

Reading-based amateur dramatic group Behind You Productions pride themselves on staging traditional pantos with a twist and this year it’s Snow White that has been given a make-over.

Chairman and writer Steve Gill has come up with Snow White And The Fairy Tale Creatures, described by one cast member as a combination of “Snow White meets Shrek”. The story starts when Dame Cruella banishes all fairy tale creatures from the kingdom, but the resident ogre refuses to go. He lies low in his swamp with his friends, the seven dwarves, and each night tells them of his secret crush on the beautiful princess.

When Queen Cruella finds out from the magic mirror that Snow White is more beautiful than she is, she has her poisoned with an apple and locked up in a dungeon. Muddles, Donkey and the dwarves set off on a quest to rescue the young beauty.

This year, Queen Cruella is played by David Lindsey — his fifth outing as a pantomime dame. Last year he played the evil Arachnophobia in Medusa’s Curse, Sinbad’s Quest. He said: “All I can say is that Dame Cruella is not a nice piece of work, sadly!”

Behind You Productions, which has been putting on two shows per year at the Kenton for the past 16 years, prides itself on giving everyone a chance to act on stage regardless of age, physical or academic abilities.

Many of the players were involved in the former Reading Gang Show.

* Snow White And The Fairy Tale Creatures is at the Kenton Theatre from Thursday to Saturday, January 16 to 18. The show is suitable for all ages. For tickets call (01491) 575698 or visit www.kentontheatre.co.uk